Here's a tip. Take the time to learn how to properly play each class, there are so many players that just run in and shoot without any planning or thought put in.

This is all just my opinion by the way, so I'm sure someone else on FJ may disagree

Scout, Heavy, Hedic and Soldier are pretty easy to master and good classes to practice with to get an idea about the game play and different map modes. Pyro and Demoman are a little trickier since you need to worry about using sticky bombs appropriately, or airblast at the right time as pyro. Engineer takes more planning than other classes, since you need to know when and where to place buildings to maximise their effectiveness. Sniper is just how good you are at clicking people's heads (or how good your ping is).

I can't say much about spy since he's my least played class, but I find him difficult to master when I try.

One last thing, the game is only as casual as you want it to be. If you really get into the game, and if you're like me, casual players can be very irritating at times. Eg players picking classes that aren't needed at that time... like the 8 snipers and 4 spies in a game I was in earlier today.... unsurprisingly we lost that match

I'm not pro by any means, but I've been playing since TF2 came out and it's different now that it's FTP since there is an even bigger mix of skill levels in any game you join than there used to be.

I know it's already answered, but I just want to elaborate since it applies to all online programs, not just TF2 or games.

Ping (AKA latency) is the time in milliseconds that it takes for your computer to send a message to the server, and for the server to send a response back.

Think of it like the "Ping" sound submarine sonar or dolphins make to bounce off stuff under water and detect it.

So if you have a ping of 500, it takes half a second to get a response from the server after you take a shot (a lot can happen in that 1/2 second and you'd probably miss a lot). Ideally you want to look for servers in the server list with pings at no more than 100, but 50 or less is better. In Australia it can be hard to find a good server with a ping under 50 sometimes, so I settle for 100 and it's usually very playable.

Usually your ping is dependent on your Internet connection and network type as well as your location relative to the server, but occasionally servers can be overloaded too and cause pings to go up.

You might want to plug your laptop directly into your router too since WiFi can increase your ping, but it usually isn't worth the effort, not unless there's heaps of WiFi interference from neighbors.

One last thing. If you download (Especially using torrents) while playing online games your ping can be more than 10 times higher than normal... So if your ping is inexplicably high, someone might be torrenting on your network and using all of the available bandwidth.

it's how good connection you have with the server, lower ping means better connection because it takes less time to sent and receive data.
bigger ping means bad connection because it means that you aren't receiving/ sending data fast enough.

Also about the classes.

Scout = fastest class and he trusts his double jump and mobility, scout always moves and never stops to gain his best perfomance.

Soldier = rocket jumping + shooting rockets to enemies feets. if you know that you aren't going to hit moving target shoot to their feet cause this does a lot of dmg too and if you can stay on higher grounds because then other soldiers can't shoot you so well.

Pyro = mostly using your flamethrower to check spies. Stay with the engineer most of the times because engineer is very vulnerable to spies and your flamethrower can save your teammates life many times, also you can M2 to extinguish teammates.

Demoman = stickies and grenades, sticky jumping used to be the key to win as demoman, but nowdays people use the stickybombs to shoot on top of the enemies and detonate them at the right time, medic demoman combination is very very deadly when done right.

Heavy = The tank class (usually go hand in hand with medic). You mostly use your minigun to back your friends up in tight situations and push things, slow but deadly.

Engineer = The support class that gets you there fast and safe. Without Engineers it's slow to get in the right positions, also the engineers are the main defense class so your sentrygun is very essential to be there when you are defending something.

Medic = You heal your teammates and use your über charge (crit, invul, quick fix) it's essential also to be quick on your feet, because you are the guy they want dead first. So watch out for spies and snipers.

Sniper = Stay far, but also close to your teammates, only play with good ping, because you only end up missing with big pings.

insta kills enemies with his knife. It's hard for starters, but good when you get used to it. using different watches you can change the cloaking. Dead Ringer makes you invisb. and fakes your death when hit, Cloak and dagger is camp watch that when you don't move you can be invisible for whole round if you want Normal watch cloaks you and gives you invisb, but you can pick up ammo to longer your invisibility (can not camp).

Well that is most of the classes, but you can ask if you have any questions.

It is by far my favorite game, I downloaded it at the start of this year and I already have 362 hours gameplay. This game is based on style as there are locked classes that each have different weapons for each class and different play styles. One thing you'll love about TF2 is the gameplay, its... well hilarious. Try buying something from the Mann. Co store though if you want a premium account. I'm still FTP with my 362 hrs gameplay and it is hell. Oh FJ I beg could any of you spare me $2?

Ok I'm 16 so I'm not some little 12 year old who only uses the sniper with machina and razor back "your everyday taunt after every kill sniper" I have played this game for 362 hrs and I have to see beautiful hats on peoples heads go by every time I play and they call me an FTP fag. I always play the game well and do what the team needs. As an engie I always build teleporters, If I see my team losing and constantly dying I'll be a medic and if there is a sentry I'll go as a spy. My friend was playing on an achievement idle server and he is 11, some dude bought him premium. we promised each other if one of us got each other premium we would do our best to get the other premium. He never got me premium. He is a traitor. The only hat I get to wear is a ****** ghostly ghibus... Please spare me I am not like the others...

I can hook you up with your first hat if you'd like, Granted it's a dirty hat (Dirty = a hat that is unable to be used in crafting), it's the first hat someone gave me and it's only fitting that I pass it on.

well, if you are f2p and you haven't payed for anything in steam, then you can't add me, so i will have to add you... your username is what you use to log in; mine is the same as here, but my gamertag is Poe's Raven

there is a tutorial, and offline practice, but those are optional. as a starter you are stuck with a default weapon set. as you play you occasionally find weapons. you know you have found a weapon when you die, these occasions are completely random. TF2 is about having alot of different playstyles. this engineer can build a minisentry, which is quicker to build and cost less metal, at the cost of not being able to build a bigger one and upgrade it. the soldier can rocketjump without recieving any damage, at the cost of that rocket being completely harmless. there are also alot of different gamemodes. like payload (pushing the cart to the end), control points ( capture point and move to the next one) and that stuff. it is very fast paced. and for me, it is insanily addictive. i have played tf2 for 345 hours now, and that is nothing compared to more people. any questions?